LD and H Magneto RX

The Wico LD and H are used in some small engine installations. The operating instructions and are similar . See the manual for the model H for more parts and service info. They use a stationary coil and rotating magnet which allows fewer moving parts and less maintainence than the EK. It is a fairly compact and simple design inside and out that makes repairs challenging. Getting the points out is not easy. Some have a knurled knob on the side as a stop switch. Unlike many where tightening the nut grounds the points to shut off, some of these serve as a ground for the primary winding and must be making contact(tightened) with the ground to run.

Condensers are very often bad (leaky) especially in the soggy Northwest and difficult to retrofit. Coils can also be an issue. It is best not to remove the coil unless it is defective. New coils are available and a bit spendy but make things good and hot. Here is oneway to replace a defective condenser. The threads the long stud of the condenser are 5-40. You will need a screw and nut there with a terminal to hold the points together and connect the new capacitor. You might get lucky and find a new old stock or good used condenser, but they unlike wine do not improve with age and are usually leaky. Not much real estate inside the cover either.

Screw,nut and terminal in place.Remember the two flat fiber insulating washers that insulate the screw from ground.

This is one way to git er done with a modern polypropylene film capacitor. This one is a Sprague/Vishay "Orange Drop" .22MFD 400 volt rating. These are hermetically sealed in epoxy and robust.

It is a close fit but will work. Install the capacitor and breaker before installing the cover. Remember to polish and set the points while in there. A bad condenser will cause pitting.